A round-up of the latest schools’ rugby action, by Ulster Schools’ PRO, Barney McGonigle… On Wednesday 29^th September the Royal School, Dungannon team hosted the Royal School, Armagh team in an eagerly anticipated game on the WK Armstrong pitch. The game turned out to be a high scoring encounter which the Royal School, Dungannon team won by 36-21. The Royal School, Dungannon team had built up a 17-7 lead by the break through tries from Christy Brace and James McCammon. Both tries were converted by James Girvan who also added one penalty. The Royal School, Armagh team had Kristoffer Mackenzie to thank for their first half try which was converted by Matthew Monaghan. The Royal School, Dungannon team scored three further tries in the second half of the game. Alex Kennedy, Alfie Lewis and Adam Scott were the try scorers with James Girvan adding two conversions. The try scorers for the Royal School, Armagh team, in the second half, were Joe Hughes and Matthew Nicholl with Matthew Monaghan adding both conversions. On the same afternoon Ballymena Academy and Foyle and Londonderry College played out a game featuring “Select” U16 and U17 players from both schools. This was a high scoring game which was enjoyed by all the players involved. On Saturday 2^nd October quite a number of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 1stxv friendly games took place. Banbridge Academy played Enniskillen Royal Grammar School at both 1stxv and U16 friendly level. The Enniskillen ERGS team won the 1stxv game by 22-12 having come back from a 7-5 deficit at the break. The Enniskillen RGS team took a 5-0 lead, midway through the first half, when Tim Harte touched down for an unconverted try. The Banbridge Academy team responded five minutes later when Ollie Norris took advantage of good work from the outstanding Marcus McNeill before touching down for the try. Ryan Matthews added the extras to see his team into a 7-5 lead which they held until the break. Midway through the second half the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team scored three quick tries through Nathan Cullinan, who touched down twice, and Miles Graham. One Harry Ingram conversion saw the Enniskillen RGS team into a 22-7 lead with little time remaining. However, the Banbridge Academy team remained committed until the end of the game and got their reward when Joel Good finished off an excellent attack from deep with an unconverted try. The final whistle blew to leave the final score reading Banbridge Academy 12 Enniskillen Royal Grammar School 22. In preparation for the forthcoming Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup competition both schools fielded U16 teams at the same venue with the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team winning the game by 26-0. Bangor Grammar School played a resurgent Belfast High School team but, despite the best efforts of the committed Belfast High School team, it was the Bangor Grammar School team that emerged from the game as 31-5 winners. Ben McLean scored a brace of tries for the Bangor Grammar School team with Callum Campbell, Ben Taggart and Rory Christie each scoring one try. Three Callum Campbell conversions capped a fine personal performance in the course of the game for this talented young player. The committed Belfast High School team got some reward for their hard work when Zane McQuillan touched down for an unconverted try. Campbell College, Belfast hosted Blackrock College, Dublin in their annual game and it was the Blackrock College team that emerged from the game as 20-0 winners. Carrickfergus Grammar School and Lurgan College met at the North Road venue in a game the Lurgan College team won by 15-8. The Carrickfergus Grammar School points came through one unconverted try from Robbie McMinn and a successful penalty kick from Ellis Branagh. Lurgan College scored three unconverted tries through Sam Stevenson, Lewis Richardson and Charlie Williamson. Coleraine Grammar School played Ballymena Academy in a game which saw the Ballymena Academy team build up a 13-8 lead by the break before emerging as 21-11 winners. The Coleraine GS points, in the first half, came from a David Minford try and a Rory Telfer penalty. The Ballymena Academy points, in the first half, came from an Andrew Donald try alongside an Alex McBurney conversion as well as two penalties. Rory Telfer, who played superbly well for the Coleraine GS team throughout the game, added a second half penalty for his team. However, the Ballymena Academy team secured their 20-11 win with a second half try from Harry Marcus which was converted by Alex McBurney. Omagh Academy and Foyle and Londonderry College played out a very closely contested game which the Omagh Academy team won by 17-14. The Omagh Academy team scored their points through an early Andrew Johnston penalty, a Harvey King try, which was converted by Andrew, and a Jamie Matthews try, which was also converted by Andrew Johnston. The Foyle College points came through three penalties from Adam Killeen and an unconverted try from James McKillopp. Portadown College and Rainey Endowed School met in the annual Vinny Doyle Memorial Cup competition. Having lost a recent game the Rainey Endowed School team was keen to get back to winning ways and did so with a convincing 26-0 victory. Sean Bentley, Cameron Smyth, Rossa Bell and Adam Montgomery scored the Rainey Endowed School tries with Louis Regan adding three conversions. Regent House School played Dromore High School at the Comber Road venue in a game the Dromore High School won by 43-14. The visitors had built up a convincing 31-14 lead by the interval with tries from Michael Pepper, Owen Smith, Matthew Heasley, Jonny Scott and Joshua Quigley to which Ethan Mount added three conversions. The Regent House School points all came from Zach Campbell who scored two converted tries. Dromore High School kept the foot on the pedal in the second half and scored twelve more points through tries from Curtis Forbes and Sam McElroy with Tom Gillespie adding one more conversion. Following recent defeats, the Royal School, Armagh team played Down High School and got back to winning ways with a 21-8 victory. The Royal School, Armagh points came through tries from James Anderson, Harry Davey and Matthew Monaghan. Matthew was also successful with all three of his conversion kicks. The Down High School points came through an unconverted try from Cameron McCaughey and a Ross Graham penalty. Royal Belfast Academical Institution played Ballyclare High School and, following what proved to be a good run out for both teams, it was the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team that emerged as 20-13 winners. The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team scored their points through tries from Bryn Ward, Jamie Beattie and Oliver Clark to which Josh Eagleson added one conversion kick as well as one penalty. Callum Cochrane put on a fine personal display for the Ballyclare High School team with a try and conversion as well as two penalties. Sullivan Upper School hosted Belfast Royal Academy and won the game by 19-5. Early in the first half the Sullivan Upper School No 8, Rory Carson, scored a try when he ran in from just outside the opposition 22m area. The try was converted by out half, Patrick McFerran, to give the Sullivan Upper School team a 7-0 lead. The remainder of the first half was played very defensively with few scoring opportunities for either team. Fifteen minutes into the second half a quickly taken lineout, and a clever chip from scrumhalf, Matthew Latimer, led to Rory Carson scoring his second try. The try was unconverted but the Sullivan Upper School team now had a 12-0 lead. Belfast Royal Academy responded with an unconverted try from Harry George to reduce their arrears to 12-5. Sullivan Upper then scored their third try of the game with some good handling, from both forwards and backs, leading to Sam Brown scoring in the corner. This try was converted by Patrick McFerran to see the scoreboard reading Sullivan Upper School 19 Belfast Royal Academy 5 at the end of the game. Wallace High School played a “Select” xv against Limavady Grammar School and won the game by 40-7.

Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up : Saturday 2nd October 2021

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